Michael LepakAuburn, NY - Years ago, the local newspaper drew a cartoon of Michael Lepak lying on the ground after the fiscal conservative voted in favor of a tax increase in Cayuga County.

“The cartoon said, ‘Can you believe he voted yes for an increase?’ ” recalled Lepak’s sister-in-law, Rose Marie Damelio. “He laughed about that for three days.”

Lepak, who earned a reputation as a tight-fisted fiscal conservative during his 34 years on the county legislature, died on Christmas Eve. He was 89.

Lepak was one of the longest-serving county legislators in county history when he stepped down in 2007, said Lee Brew, who retired the same year after 15 years as clerk of the legislature.

Lepak, a lifelong Democrat and lifelong resident of Auburn’s West End, never learned to drive. After crashing a car into a garage when he was just learning to drive, Damelio said, Lepak abandoned the idea and never got a driver’s license. He walked during his years as a city meter reader, and he walked and walked as a county legislator.

“He knew every street in the city,” Brew said.

Lepak spent much of his working life as a meter reader for the city of Auburn, walking from house to house and calling out “meter man!” as he entered, Damelio said.

“He was the only one in town at that time, and he walked from corner to corner of Auburn and he knew every house,” Damelio said. “I think people just loved him.”

When he became a county legislator, he walked his district, too. Damelio recalled driving him to the tops of hills and waiting in the car while Lepak went door-to-door. She sometimes offered to help, but he always refused.

“He said, ‘I want to see the people eye-to-eye,’ ” she said. “’I don’t care if they vote for me or not, but they’re going to see me.’ ”

As the cartoon attested, Lepak built a reputation opposing tax increases.

“He believed in belt-tightening,” Brew said, “and he was a real fiscal conservative.”

Lepak was also known as an outspoken, opinionated supervisor who worked tirelessly for his constituents.

“He was a feisty old guy,” recalled Ray Lockwood, who served on the board with Lepak. “When he had an opinion on something, you really knew it.

Lepak was first elected to the legislature in 1973, and, Lockwood said, never faced a serious challenger after that.

“Any time he was opposed he just blew the doors off the other candidate,” Lockwood said.

Lepak was also a big New York Yankees fan – but his public service came first.

“Sometimes if a meeting would be going late, we’d all have to laugh because he’d blurt out, ‘You know there’s a Yankees game on,’¤” Lockwood said. “He’d grumble about missing the game, but he’d stay for the meeting.”

Lepak is survived by his son, Greg Lepak. Calling hours will be 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday in Cheche Funeral Home, 1778 Clark St., Auburn. The funeral will be 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in St. Alphonsus Church.